Improvement in devices for sowing seed in grain-drills



Sh t-Sh H. P. SEYMOUR. 2 868 68 Grain Drill.

Patented Sept. 25, 1849.

v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Y .P. SEYMOUR.

Grain Drill. 1

Patented Sept. 25', .1849.

'1 a 1'1 IHIIIIIHHIIIHDH .iimnmmunmmllli ml lw" N-FETERS. PHOTD-IJTNOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D. O.

PlERPONT SEYMOUR, OF EAST BLOOMFIELD, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FOR SOYVING SEED IN GRAlN-DRlLLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 6,750, dated September 25, 1849.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Prnnron'r SEYMOUR, of East Bloomfield, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in DrillingMachines for Sowing Seed,1 lanting Corn, &c., which is described as follows, reference being bad to the annexed drawings of the same, making part of this'specification.

Figure l is a top or birds-eye view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same at the line a: 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same at the line 0 0 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top View of the parallel plates forming the bottom of the seed-box and the parts attached tothe same.

'Similar letters in the figures refer to corre sponding parts.

The nature of this invention and improvement consists in arranging immediately below theseed or grain box of the machine two horizontal parallel plates, forming the bottom of said box, connected together by links and provided with a lever for moving one nearer to or farther from the other, in order to regulate the quantity of seed or grain passing between the same, and placing beneath said plates a horizontal vibrating bar having pins on its upper surface extending through the space between the plates and connected to a-vibrating plate or bar attached to springs, and provided with an anti-friction roller at its extremity, pressing against a zigzag plate or wheel secured to the driving-wheel of the drill in such a manner as to cause said bar under the box and its attachments to be moved to and fro during the progress of the machine, and the pins to agitate the seed or grain next the space between the plates and cause the same to pass through said space and descend between angular blocks,

.which conduct it into the leather tubes, from whence it passes through the drill-teeth; and also in attaching the drill-teeth to a Windlass arranged at the back part of the machine, and operated by a lever in such a manner as to enable the operator to raise all the drill-teeth from the ground at the same time by simply raising said lever, and otherwise improving the machine to better adapt it to the purposes for which it is designed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A are the wheels upon which the machine moves, turning on a horizontal axle secured to an oblong frame, so constructed as to contain and support the several parts.

B is the seed-box,ofthe usual form, arranged above the axle and supported by joists or uprights at either end rising from the frame.

0 are the oblong plates, arranged immediately below the seed-box and flush with the bottom of the same, (one being secured permanently to said box,) connected together by links or bars a, after the manner of a parallelrule, and

provided with a lever, a, moving over a stav tionary curved plate, b,secured to the box, and marked to indicate the width of space between the plates. 7

D is the horizontal vibrating bar, arranged immediately below the plates (J, moving on bent plates 0, secured to the box, and having upright pins or plates d projecting from its upper surface and passing through the space between the plates 0, and provided with a horizontal plate, 0, secured at its center, extending toward the front of the machine, to

which is hooked or otherwise affixed a rod,f,

running parallel with the bar, and attached at its opposite extremity to a bent plate, 9, secured at one end to a spring, h, fastened to the seed-box, and having an upright pin secured to its opposite end, projecting above and below the same, to the upper part of which is attached a spring, t, secured to the frame and box, between the same and the driving-wheel, 7

so as to bring one end outside the upper part of the upright pin, and turning on a fulcrumv fixed to the box at its center, in such a-manner I as to allow the operator to remove the antifriction roller from contact with the zigzag plate by moving the end ofthe lever next him outwardand pressing the same in a notch formed in a plate, 7a,'secured to the frame.

G is a series of right-angle triangular-shaped blocks, secured between parallel bars secured to the frame of the machine, immediately below the space between the plates 0, the required distance apart to form hoppers for conducting the seed to the leather tubes 1, and thence to the drill-teeth H.

H are the drill-teeth, made in the usual manner, and connected to drawing-bars m at their upper parts, extending forward to the front beam of the frame, where they are forked or provided with prongs, and suspended to a rod, a, passing through openings at their ends sccured to the frame. These drawing-bars have slots formed in them near their centers,.in which are inserted the ends of curved bars 0, secured to the same by pins and attached to the drill-teeth below, where the drawing-bars. are attached in like manner.

I are chains attached to the upper ends of the drill-teeth, and to hooks formed on bent plates 12, secured to a horizontal shaft,p, turning in suitable boxes in the frame. These plates are curved in the form of a segment; of

a circle at the parts farthest from the shaft to,

which they are secured, on which the chains rest when the drill-teeth are raised, and are otherwise shaped to suit the views of the constructor.

J is a lever or bar secured to the horizontal shaft 19, provided with a slot, through which is inserted a curved or segmental bar, q, connected to one of the bars between which the triangular blocks are secured, having a notch formed at its lower edge, in which a pin in the slot of the lever or bar fits.

K are other chains attached to the upper ends of the drill-teeth, and to a horizontal rod passing through eyes or staples fastened to the upper part of the seed-box.

Operation: The seed to be sown being placed in the box, and the horizontal movable plate 0 moved the required distance to form the desired space between its edge and the edge'of the stationary plate 0, by moving the lever a over the index 0 the machine will be started over the field, which will cause the inequalities of the surface of the circular zigzag plate or wheel j and springs h t alternately to force the anti-friction roller E toward and from the box B, and the parts to which it is attached to receive a like vibratory movement, and the pins or plates d projecting from the upper surface of the vibrating bar D, to agitate the seed in the box next the passage between the plates 0 and facilitate its passage through the same, from whence it will descend into the hoppers formed by the blocks G and be conducted into the drill-teeth, as before stated. The operation will be continued in this manner until the machine arrives at the end of the field, when the operator will throw the anti-friction roller out of gear with the zigzag circular plate or wheel by the lever F in the manner before stated, and will raise the drill-teeth from the ground by drawing the lever J down and securing the same in a pendent position by inserting the pin in the slot formed in the same into the slot or notch in the curved or segmental bar q. The machine will then be turrel and brought to the proper position for the next rows, and the segmental bar q detached from the lever J, so as to again lower the drill-teeth, and the lever F detached from the notch in the plate 70 to again gear the anti-friction roller with the zigzag plate, when another series of rows will be sown, as before. In this manner the operation will be continued untilthe required quantity of seed is distributed.

When it is desired to plant corn with this machine, or other grain required to be laid in rows, all the drill-teeth, except the two nearest the wheels and the one midway between the same, are raised a sufficient distance above the ground to clear the same, and suspended in that position by the chains K, and grooved slides r may be arranged in the box B above the raised teeth and moved by the levers or rods 8 attached to the same, passing through eyes in the box and extending a short dis tance above the top of the same, so as to bring them over the pins d projecting from the vibratin g bar D immediately above said raised teeth, and to entirely cover the parts of the space which they traverse, to prevent the passage of the corn through the same. Another circular plate or wheel, t, Fig. 6, containing three or more semicircular depressions, u, will then be secured over the zigzag plate or wheel, which will cause a correspondingnumber of bills or rows of the grain used to be planted at each revolution of the driving-wheel during the progress of the machine, the lever a being previously moved to increase the space between the plates 0 sufficiently to allow the passage of the corn or other grain. The distance of the hills or rows from each other can be regulated by the number of drill-teeth used of the same, and vibrating bar D will be removed, and a vibrating bar, 40, Fig. 7, will be inserted in place of the vibrating bar above mentioned, having split plates a: rising from its upper surface and entering the passage plate or wheel j, and vibrating bar D, having teeth d on its upper surface for facilitating the passage of the-seed or grain through the space between the parallel plates 0, as described.

PIERPONT SEYMOUR.

Witnesses:

B. F. ADAMS, E. W. FAIRCHILD. 

